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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26596498">The Truth About Me and You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Holland/pseuds/Captain_Holland'>Captain_Holland</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, Cobra Kai meets Fight Club meets Point Break, Complicated Relationships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, FBI agent Daniel, Internal Conflict, Karate, Lies, M/M, Past Abuse, Secrets, Slow Burn, Swearing, Undercover, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:08:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26596498</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Holland/pseuds/Captain_Holland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Special Agent Daniel is assigned to a undercover stint all the way in California. A karate dojo with the name Cobra Kai is suspected to be a front for an illegal underground fighting ring. Rumour is even minors are involved in it.</p><p>Daniel is one of the best undercover agents around, meticulous and calm even in the most dire of situations. But no extent of preparation could prepare him for one Johnny Lawrence. Perhaps this seemingly cut-and-dry case will be his downfall after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The First Contact</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Cobra Kai meets Fight Club meets Point Break? Kinda, but all I got from those movies were the secret and illegal fight club and the going-undercover-in-California plot, respectively. Don't expect this fic to follow the plot of either of those movies (though there will be some surfing at some point probably - it's California after all). Also, I've taken a few liberties with locations and other things since I'm not from the US. Should I write something outrageously wrong, though, don't be afraid to point it out at me.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel hated the sun. That was a bit of an issue, given that he agreed to an undercover operation of indefinite duration in one of the sunniest states the United States had to offer. Just his luck.</p><p>As always, the operation had begun with a lengthy briefing and months of preparation in advance. The allegations and pieces of evidence gathered so far were serious enough to warrant an official investigation by the Bureau. That was where Daniel entered the picture.</p><p>He was definitely no stranger to undercover operations. In fact, he did not think it was arrogant or an exaggeration to say he was one of the best undercover agents the FBI had walking around right now. He quietly prided himself on the extensive personal research he always conducted, his endless pondering about all the things that might go wrong during an operation - in his experience, Murphy’s Law was a very real thing – and his talent to talk his way out of even the most hopeless situations. He did not sway easily under pressure and a great deal of stress. You could even say he thrived under it.</p><p>In his opinion, the two most difficult things about going undercover was the first contact and the wrapping up. The beginning and the inevitable end, whether it ended in a successful arrest or a more permanent end for the undercover agent in question. So far, Daniel had been lucky enough to avoid a bullet to the head. Even though he liked to think otherwise, no amount of preparation or experience could protect you from an unpredictable trigger-happy target. </p><p>It was a dangerous but very rewarding job. Daniel had seen many marriages around him break apart because of the pressures of being an FBI agent. He himself was, as the cliché went, married to the job. He never regretted that decision - especially when he listened to his fellow agents talk about their failed relationships with their exes and estranged children. He got lonely sometimes, sure, especially when he had to come home to an empty apartment that did not feel like his own. Deep down, though, he knew that this was the right choice for him. A relationship could only end terribly with both parties getting needlessly hurt in the process.</p><p>But he was getting ahead with himself, his mind tumbling down a well-trotted side path he found himself in from time to time. He had a job to do.</p><p>Just now, he had been thinking about the two most dangerous things about going undercover. The first contact and the wrapping up. </p><p>Daniel looked up from where he was standing at the back of Norouzi Auto Group’s showroom, dressed neatly in a cheap suit that stuck out a little at the shoulders and was a bit too short at the cuffs. He was standing behind one of the desks, and it was from that position that he had first seen none other than Johnny Lawrence walking in though the glass doors. </p><p>It was unmistakeably him. Daniel had looked at his photographs more times than he could remember these past few weeks. He could not describe the feeling going through him now. It was a bit like seeing a celebrity in the flesh - only one who might be hiding some serious criminal activities and who would not hesitate to silence you if you crossed him.</p><p>For a short moment Daniel allowed himself to be worried. It was a huge coincidence that one of the two targets of this operation just happened to waltz into the place where Daniel would be working for the duration of the operation. It was not <i>too</i> big of coincidence, however. This particular dealership was carefully selected by the task force as his workplace given its proximity to both Johnny Lawrence’s place and the Cobra Kai dojo. It wasn't <i>too</i> far-fetched to believe he genuinely had some sort of problem with his car. Daniel had seen pictures of it, and he could honestly not believe how such a vintage car could still be driving around without a hitch.</p><p>His thought were all going rapidly through his head and his hands were shaking lightly from the rush of adrenaline going through him. Lawrence was still idling around at the front of the dealership, looking around him without a clear purpose.</p><p>In Daniel's mind, he had two options now.</p><p>The first option would be to remove himself through one of the back doors and hope Lawrence would not spot him sneaking away. This way, Daniel could let one of the other employees help Lawrence and stay out of the picture for now. The first contact would then still take place at Cobra Kai, just as he had painstakingly planned with the task force assigned to this case. </p><p>The second option would require Daniel to go off-script and engage in the first contact right here, right now. There was a significant risk that Lawrence would see him here and then recognize him later on at Cobra Kai. Again, it would likely just be a coincidence in Lawrence’s eyes, but it would be enough to unknowingly plant a little seed of doubt in Lawrence’s brain that would come to the surface when – if – Daniel would inevitably make some sort of mistake in the future. Perhaps Daniel was looking too hard into all of this, but there was a reason why he was still walking around after so many years dealing with the most dangerous people in the States. You avoided giving them reasons to doubt you, how small and insignificant some things might seem.</p><p>Daniel glanced at the clock to his left. Not even a minute had passed from the moment Lawrence had walked in until now.</p><p>He had made his decision.</p><p>Grabbing a clipboard from the desk, he swiftly walked across the length of the room towards the man who was suspected to co-lead an illegal underground fighting ring involving minors.</p><p>Lawrence looked up from where he was staring at a flashy poster with Anoush on it, his hands deep in his pockets. Daniel felt a thrill of anticipation when his eyes locked with Lawrence’s blue ones. </p><p>“Hello sir, welcome to Norouzi Auto Group. My name is Daniel. How may I help you today?”</p><p>Daniel had practiced his friendly-but-determined-to-take-your-money smile in the mirror a few times before he began work at the dealership about one week ago. He liked to think it was very convincing for the environment around him. </p><p>Lawrence narrowed his eyes a little at him and crossed his arms. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with an open shirt over it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows so that the muscles in his forearms were prominently visible. He was not a man to cross, that much was certain. Daniel could not wait to do just that in due time. </p><p>“I drove my car into a pole. It needs fixing.” </p><p>Daniel nodded empathetically, still smiling. His mind was racing.</p><p>“Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place.” Daniel had to bite back a laugh when he saw Lawrence’s not-so subtle eyeroll. “Is your car outside?”</p><p>“Yeah.” He stayed still for a moment.</p><p>Daniel raised his eyebrow, but just before he had to clarify Johnny jerked a little, turning around without a word. Daniel followed.</p><p>Outside, Daniel immediately spotted the red Firebird gleaming in the sun. Lawrence led him towards it and then they were both standing there staring at the damage. </p><p>One corner of the front had a small but deep dent in it, the paint peeling off. Daniel was not an expert, but it definitely looked as if the car had come into contact with a pole at a not very high speed. It would not be the first time a driver overlooked a low pole when entering or exiting a parking space. He could ask Lawrence about the details of the incident, but that was more a matter for his car insurance than for the dealership. They were getting paid whether it was covered by insurance or not, after all. Besides, something told him that Lawrence would not appreciate a lengthy questioning. Daniels instinct had never led him astray so far.</p><p>Daniel leaned forward and pressed his hand on the dent. When he removed it, a few particles of flaked paint covered it. </p><p>When he turned towards Lawrence again, the man was looking at him with an undecipherable look in his eyes. </p><p>“Why don’t you fill in your info right here-” Daniel shoved his clipboard towards Lawrence, offering him the ridiculously expensive fountain pen he had in his jacket pocket, “-and we’ll get your car up and running in no time. This should be fixed in a day or two, if not less. Would you like one of our rental cars for the time being?”</p><p>Lawrence had sat down on the hood of his car, the clipboard propped on his knee as he filled out the form in quick strokes of his hand. He briefly looked up at Daniels question, a quick flash of blue before he dropped his gaze towards the form again. </p><p>“No. I have a motorcycle I can use.” </p><p>Huh. They had somehow missed that piece of crucial information – this meant Lawrence could transport himself by other means than his car. They would need to find a way to get a photograph of the motorcycle and its licence plate. Daniel filed the information neatly away in his head.</p><p>At last, Lawrence reached the end of the form. His eyes swept over it one last time before he shoved it back towards Daniel, his pen and car keys on top of it. </p><p>“Anything more you need?” Lawrence asked in a tone that did not convey politeness as much as an implicit threat that if he needed to fill in more forms he may not be able to contain the urge to punch something. Or Daniel.</p><p>“Well, let’s see if everything’s here…”</p><p>Daniel smiled politely as he looked down at the form, looking specifically for the segment that had convinced him to go with option two rather than option one in the first place. </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> OCCUPATION: Handyman / Sensei at Cobra Kai Karate Dojo</p>
</div><p>“Oh,” Daniel said, blinking down in surprise at the form. “You teach karate?”</p><p>Lawrence visible stiffened up, his arms crossing again protectively in front of his chest. “Yeah. So?”</p><p>“Oh, well, it’s just… I just moved here recently all the way from New Jersey with my daughter. We had both taken regular karate lessons back there and we were hoping to find a new place here.”</p><p>Lawrence’s eyebrows shot up at that, but his stance visibly relaxed a little. “You. Karate.”</p><p>This time it was Daniel who raised his eyebrows, a bit indignantly despite himself. “What? You don’t think I’m the type of person who does karate?”</p><p>Lawrence’s eyes slowly went up and down his body and Daniel had to fight to not tense up under the scrutiny. “Something like that,” Lawrence said slowly, his fingers tapping on his arm. Then, he uncrossed his arms and began walking backwards towards the sidewalk. </p><p>“You can join up on the internet. Our address'll be there somewhere, probably. Or just come by sometime.” </p><p>Daniel grinned, one hand holding Lawrence’s keys while the other clutched the clipboard tight against his chest. “Alright, will do. We’ll contact you when your car is ready, Mr. Lawrence.”</p><p><i>Or perhaps I’ll might just pop by and come tell you personally,</i> he thought.</p><p>Lawrence nodded once, and after a final searching look turned around and walked away. Daniel watched him for a while, but the man did not look back. </p><p>His racing heartbeat told him he needed to take a deep breath to calm down. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to dance along the fine line of improvisation and script, intuition and experience. The whole unpredictability of being undercover was something that very few people could handle, but Daniel could not imagine a life without the thrill of it. </p><p>As he walked inside, thinking back on the conversation between him and Lawrence, he was pretty satisfied. The first contact had been made a few days earlier than planned, but Daniel was certain he had made the right call. </p><p>As of Johnny Lawrence himself – he was not entirely who Daniel had expected him to be. He had come across as a tough, no-nonsense man, but Daniel had seen no trace of aggression or anything that might suggest this was a man who was hiding a very violent operation. This could only mean the man was more dangerous and calculating than he and the task force had suspected.</p><p>“I’ll get you,” he said softly under his breath, before stepping inside and flashing a smile at the next customer.</p><p> </p><p>-------------</p><p> </p><p>“Ouch!”</p><p>Daniel rubbed his hand indignantly, staring at Special Agent Amanda Rivers who had just very professionally smacked his wrist with a rolled-up newspaper. </p><p>“Why do you keep doing this to me, Daniel?” Amanda sighed and sat back in her seat, releasing the newspaper so she could reach for the pot with sugar cubes. </p><p>They were sitting across from each other in the corner of a small coffee shop, steaming mugs of coffee in front of them. Daniel had taken a coffee break from work - which his boss had graciously allowed since Daniel had worked through his lunch break - and had just explained to Amanda what had happened with Lawrence and how he had approached the matter. She was not happy.  </p><p>He and Amanda have known each other for a very long time. He was a scrappy little thing at the Academy in Quantico, looking far younger than he actually was, causing him to be the subject of taunts until he managed to shut everyone up with a few well-placed punches here and there. During the first couple of weeks he was always walking around with a black eye or a split lip, but never once without a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.  Some might have said he was asking for it, really. </p><p>That was both what drove Amanda to him as what annoyed her the most about him. As one of the few female trainees at the time, she had to work twice - if not thrice - as hard as her male counterparts. She received taunts of a wholly different nature. </p><p>Daniel stood up for her when he heard the things that were said about her, and for his trouble he had to walk around with a limp for a while. Amanda was not there when it happened, but she had to have somehow figured out what happened anyway when she sat down next to him for lunch the next day without saying a word. From that moment onwards they had been a unit, always looking out for each other and helping each other with their studies and physical training. </p><p>Daniel loved Amanda’s work drive and perfectionism – hell, he loved <i>her</i> more than anything else in the world except his mother – but right now, as he was rubbing his wrist and preparing for a tirade for potentially jeopardizing an operation that hadn't even really begun yet, he wished she was a bit more flexible and understanding of his work methods. Before she could open her mouth to say something, he was first.</p><p>“Look, before you say anything – this felt right. In fact, I had really no other choice than to approach him then and there. I could not risk the chance that he had already seen me and then become suspicious if I, the random guy from the dealership, would just show up in his dojo a few days later.”</p><p>Amanda narrowed her eyes at him, stirring her coffee with a small teaspoon. “And you magically coming across a person who teaches karate just as you were thinking about searching for a dojo is not a coincidence to you? Will Lawrence not see this as a big coincidence as well and ‘store it away’ unconsciously, as you call it?”</p><p>Daniel chuckled softly. “No, you’re right. It's still a coincidence. I just figured it would be less suspicious this way than if I was lurking in the background of the showroom and then just happen to show up at the dojo. Again, I was not sure if he had seen me when he walked in the door or if he would see me sneaking away, but either way… Well. Call me crazy, it just felt better to do it this way. My instinct has-”</p><p>“-not let you astray this far, yeah, I get it.” Amanda and he grinned at each other. Amanda wasn't just here as part of the task force, but also played the role of his ex-wife. The cover story they had created was that Amanda had moved to California with their daughter, Sam, and that Daniel had followed right after to still be able to see his daughter regularly. In the first draft they made they had been married, but Amanda then pointed out she could not see how she could be married to a man who was supposed to be so borderline obsessed with karate that it was crazy. Furthermore, since Johnny Lawrence himself was a divorced man with a teenage son, they both agreed it would be best if they were divorced as well so that Daniel and Lawrence had one more thing in common to hopefully bond over. </p><p>The young woman who was assigned to play their daughter, Samantha, was a promising FBI recruit still in training. She looked young enough to be able to infiltrate the youth division of Cobra Kai and possibly gain access to the underground fight ring. She was enrolled at the local high school, something she grumblingly agreed to so she could keep up appearances of being a regular teenager. She had begged Amanda and Daniel to change the story so that she could be a homeschooled student, but as they both had things to do and places to be, that was simply not an option. </p><p>Oh well. A disgruntled teenager mad at him and the world fit in perfectly with their cover story. </p><p>Amanda sighed and leaned back in her seat. “Look, I trust you. You know that. But it isn’t trust that is the issue here. <i>You’re</i> not the issue. He, Lawrence, is. Him and that John Kreese creep. They are not men you can take chances with. I don’t want you to end up in a ditch somewhere, beaten to an unrecognizable pulp.”</p><p>Daniel nodded, his smile sobering. “I know. You’re right. I promise you I won’t become reckless or overly confident. Hell, if you’d seen that guy Lawrence’s arms you would know not to mess with him, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Amanda lifted an eyebrow above her mug as she took a sip. “Oh really? Did his icy-blue eyes send a chill down your spine as well? Did you imagine him pushing you into a corner, and-”</p><p>“Wow, stop! Get your mind out of the gutter.” Daniel laughed and hid his face behind his ridiculously huge mug to avoid Amanda’s piercing eyes. “I am <i>not</i> having inappropriate thoughts about a guy who allegedly pitches minors against each other in illegal fights, thank you very much.”</p><p>Amanda had known he was gay perhaps even before he himself fully realized it. There wasn’t much you could hide from the person closest to you in a place that had been filled to the brink with young, well-trained men everywhere around you. Still, the fact she was suggesting he was lusting after one of their targets was ridiculous, completely unfounded and went against just about everything he stood for. </p><p>He made a note in his head to can it with the references to Lawrence’s muscled arms.</p><p>“Anywayyy,” Amanda began, still eyeing him strangely, “we need to discuss when and how you and Sam will approach Cobra Kai now. Will we keep this Saturday as our moment of approach or do you think we need to regroup and think about a new strategy?”</p><p>“I say we stick to the plan as it is, minus the first contact thing.” Daniel drank the last bit of coffee from his mug and put it down. "Hopefully Lawrence's car will already be done by that time. That'll give me an excuse to hang around longer."

He glanced outside for a moment and immediately kicked Amanda in the shin. </p><p>After kicking him back way harder than he had, Amanda followed his gaze outside and noticed what he had seen – three teenagers dressed in white gi’s, laughing and jostling each other as they walked down the sidewalk to their late afternoon lesson, faces pointed downwards at their phones. A glance at the clock told Daniel that school must have ended already.</p><p>“Look at those cute little psychos,” Amanda said, shaking her head in mock-disapproval. </p><p>“Oh, come on, they look fine. Stop projecting. Remember, we don’t know for sure if all of the minors – if any at all – are involved in the ring,” Daniel reminded her. Still, he kept his eye on the teenagers as well until they disappeared around the corner. He wondered what they were looking at on their phones.</p><p>“Okay, I’ll stop projecting if you promise to keep your head in the game.” Amanda leaned forward and grabbed his wrist in a gentle grip. Daniel imagined that anyone looking in the window right now would never guess they were a divorced couple at all. “We’ll keep the plan, then. Go talk with Samantha after work and get ready. Also, the coffee is on you.”</p><p>Amanda stood up and grabbed her bag, flashing a smile at him and hurrying away before he could protest. </p><p>Sighing, Daniel stood up and threw some money on the table before leaving himself. The heat beat him in the face as soon as he set foot outside and he wished he could get rid of the suit and walk around in shorts and flipflops like a normal person. Somehow, though, he did not think his boss would appreciate such a look for his employees.</p><p>Daniel was thinking about the Saturday coming up and the report he would have to write about today once he got home. Things were finally progressing and he could not wait to see the challenges and opportunities that the day after tomorrow would bring them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Cobra's Den</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Daniel and Sam meet with Johnny Lawrence at Cobra Kai, where tensions soon rise...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel’s cheeks hurt from all of the fake smiles he was forced to have plastered on his face during all the tedious interactions with clients (“Not customers, Daniel, <i>clients</i>”) at the dealership, so the Saturday could not have come soon enough for him. Another plus was that he could finally wear something more comfortable and throw his ill-fitting suit in a corner of his bedroom. </p><p>It was late afternoon, and he and Sam were driving towards the Cobra Kai dojo. Daniel had expected her to be nervous to finally enter the dragon’s den, but she sat very calmly beside him with her hands folded in her lap. Her mouth was moving slightly, as if she was going over the plan in her head. </p><p>Daniel knew like no other how much pressure she had to be feeling right now. It was easy to forget that this was just her first case and she wasn’t even out of the academy yet. She had been carefully selected from the trainees at Quantico and that gave her a lot of pride, sure, but also a crushing feeling of responsibility. This case could just as easily break as make her career and Daniel knew she was aware of that, even though they hadn’t spoken about it.</p><p>As for Daniel himself, much of the pressure he would’ve normally felt in a situation like this wasn’t there. In many ways, this new situation was ideal. Lawrence knew who he was now and would be expecting him to show up sooner or later. The main thing Daniel could concern himself with now was the layout of the place and an assessment of the young students that were present right now for their afternoon class. </p><p>As Daniel drove into the parking lot with the banner of Cobra Kai flashing brightly in the afternoon sun just ahead of them, Sam tapped his arm and said, “Look there, near the door.”</p><p>Daniel followed her gaze and saw a lean black motorcycle parked in front of the dojo. Given the fact that besides Lawrence there were only teenagers in the dojo it was clear who it belonged to. Daniel parked the car in the closest parking spot available. “Well spotted.”</p><p>As they walked towards the dojo the licence plate of the motorcycle was visible, and Daniel printed the details of it in his brain as he was sure Samantha did as well. Together they walked to the door and he held it open as she stepped into the dojo first.</p><p>Inside they were met with the sight of dozens of students in white gi who had their backs toward them, facing their Sensei at the back of the room. They were in de midst of practicing a combination of two punches and a sweep of the leg that were meant to quickly and efficiently bring their opponent to the ground.</p><p>Daniel turned towards Samantha to remind her to take off her shoes, but then he saw she was already holding her sneakers in her hand, trying to find a spot amongst the pile of shoes already there.</p><p>Daniel toed of his shoes as well and shoved them to the side with his foot. Sam came up beside him with her hands in her sides, staring at the precise movements of the students before her. Daniel followed her gaze and noticed how the teenagers were moving almost in sync, totally attuned to each other. He found himself almost wishful, wishing he had begun learning karate at their age or even sooner. He certainly did not have their dedication or discipline.</p><p>He looked further along the lines of students to the back of the room. There he saw Johnny Lawrence in a black gi and a headband wrapped around his head pacing the floor, giving instructions here and there and correcting a few students’ stance. </p><p>Daniel was suddenly struck with the stark difference in Lawrence’s posture here compared to when he had first met him in the dealership. Back then, Lawrence had hunched shoulders and his arms constantly crossed in a defensive and protective posture. He had looked as if he would rather be somewhere else entirely.</p><p>Here, Johnny Lawrence was in his domain. He stood straight with his shoulders pushed back. He spoke clearly and authoritatively, and the students around him took every word of his as gospel. It was no easy feat to have a room full of teenagers so disciplined and willing to listen to his every command and correction without a word of protest. </p><p>It was fascinating to watch.</p><p>Daniel was not prepared to have those sharp, authoritative eyes suddenly land on him from the other side of the room, and he involuntarily stood straighter himself, swallowing. </p><p>He heard Sam take a deep breath in through her nose as Lawrence barked a command to a boy near him called Miguel to lead the students into a new exercise, after which he swiftly walked towards them through the mob of students, deftly avoiding a few stray limbs coming into his path along the way.</p><p>Then Lawrence finally stood before them, looking the both of them over with his mouth pressed in a straight line. Daniel could now see that his right hand was bandaged up messily.  He quickly scanned Lawrence’s face but saw no bruises or other marks that might suggest he had been in a fight. Either he <i>had</i> been in a fight, though decidedly one-sided, or something else was going on. </p><p>“Hi,” Daniel said at last, flashing a smile despite his protesting cheeks. “Maybe you remember me from-” </p><p>“From the overpriced car shop. Sure.” He looked at Daniel inquisitively. “Is my car ready yet?”</p><p>“Ah, I’m afraid not. We had a couple of busy days. I have your number, so I'll contact you the moment it's ready.”</p><p>What Lawrence did not need to know was that the car was already ready to go and that Daniel was just waiting for the most opportune time to bring Lawrence to the dealership. Agent Forrest from the task force was still busy discreetly examining the outside and inside of the car for anything they could use in their investigation.</p><p>Lawrence muttered something intelligible under his breath and straightened his back when he glanced behind Daniel to Samantha.</p><p>That prompted Daniel to put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, pushing her gently forward so she wasn’t hovering behind him anymore. </p><p>“This is Samantha, my daughter. She would like to join this group if that’s possible.”</p><p>Lawrence tilted his head, squinting at her. “Wait. How old are you?”</p><p>Samantha twirled a strand of hair around her finger, a sign that Daniel had come to learn indicated she was nervous. “I’m seventeen, sir.”</p><p>“Sensei,” Daniel corrected her even before Lawrence could. This caused the man to shoot him a surprised look, though he seemed pleased. </p><p>“Sorry, Sensei,” Sam quickly said, smiling sweetly.</p><p>Lawrence gave her another strange look, but then shrugged dismissively and walked away from them to a side door, simply gesturing with his hand behind him that they had to follow him. </p><p>Daniel met Sam’s eyes for a second before they followed him to the office adjacent to the sparring room. </p><p>The cramped room they entered could barely contain the desk with chair and the small fridge in the corner and it felt definitely too crowded with three people. There were photo frames on the wall and a couple of posters, but Daniel let Samantha do the closer observation as they had discussed before. </p><p>Instead, Daniel directed all of his attention to the papers Lawrence pushed around his desk next to an ancient computer. He at last found what he was searching for - something that from Daniel’s viewpoint looked like a couple of lists filled with names. </p><p>“We still have some room in this class, though it is starting to get cramped out there. It will have to do. Put your name and details there.” Lawrence unceremoniously pushed a piece of paper in Sam’s direction, who snapped out of her thoughts and picked up the offered pen which had bite marks in it. Daniel could not help but compare the situation to the other day, when Lawrence had to fill in a form with a pen that cost more than what Daniel earned in a day at the dealership.</p><p>“Where’s Sensei Kreese? He not in today?” Daniel asked, glancing around the room as if he expected a full-grown man to be hiding somewhere in the cramped space.</p><p>Lawrence leaned back in his seat, a guarded look appearing in his eyes. “No. He’s out of town for the weekend but he’ll be back next week. We usually teach the kids’ classes together. The few adults we have at the dojo only train under me.”</p><p>Daniel nodded slowly. <i>Interesting.</i> The mysterious figure of John Kreese that loomed ominously over everything Daniel could see around him would allude him for a short while yet, it appeared.</p><p>Lawrence pushed another list towards Daniel, and he quickly scanned the rather short list of names before he put his info underneath. He counted only fifteen at most, sixteen if he included himself. </p><p>When Sam was done with her form, she muttered to Daniel that she was going to watch the students do their exercises and disappeared from the room. A silence came between them, the only sound the scribbling of Daniel’s pen. He was aware of Lawrence’s eyes on him the whole time. He did not look up from his work until he was done.  </p><p>“They seem really dedicated,” Daniel finally offered. He jerked his chin towards the open door where a few kids were visible practicing a kick on each other. “Those students. They seem like a very… varied bunch.”</p><p>“Those kids out there?” Lawrence said, pointing a finger at them. “When they came to me, they were nothing. Bullied, teased, all that crap. They were all nerds and losers with little to no friends. Look at them now. They have confidence – even better, they give <i>each other</i> confidence. No one will ever mess with them again, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Lawrence leaned back in his chair, clearly proud of himself. He had to crane his head to be able to look Daniel in the eye. Despite this advantage though, Daniel did not feel like he had the upper hand in the room. He licked his dry lips.</p><p>“I think it’s good to give kids confidence. It is one of the reasons I wanted to introduce Sam to karate, in fact. She had some issues with bullies herself before we moved here, and I hope she’ll be able to avoid that here. But there are some boundaries I don’t want her to cross.”</p><p>Lawrence scoffed at him. “Don’t we all-” he leaned across the desk to read what Daniel had written down, “LaRusso? Is that Italian or something?” </p><p>Daniel looked at him, searchingly. “Yes. Is that a problem?”</p><p>Lawrence’s amused demeanour disappeared. “No. What’s going to be a problem is if you suck at karate. I don’t really feel like wasting my time on someone who still needs to learn the basics. Not so close to the tournament.”</p><p>“There’ll be no problem at all, then.” Daniel smiled tightly, unsure what had caused <i>this</i> outburst. “And even if there was – how are you ever going to attract more people to your dojo if you’re not willing to train beginners?”</p><p>Another tense silence fell between them as they were sizing each other up. Just before Daniel was about to glance away, prepared to be the bigger man and defuse the situation before Lawrence would throw both him and Sam out of the dojo, there was some sort of a commotion outside of the door that drew Lawrence’s attention immediately. The man swiftly jumped out of his chair and bumped his shoulder against Daniel’s in quite a harsh fashion as he passed him, causing Daniel to grind his teeth before his curiosity drew him out of the room as well. </p><p>Luckily, it was at least not Samantha who had gotten involved in something. Instead, he saw the boy called Miguel standing toe to toe with a boy with a colourful mohawk. They weren’t saying anything to each other but were clearly trying to make the other back away first.</p><p>“QUIET!”</p><p>Daniel jumped at that and watched how the students standing in a circle around the two boys immediately ceased their yelling and taunts and parted ways so their Sensei could shoulder between the boys and push them away from each other rather forcibly. </p><p>Lawrence looked at Miguel and then at the boy with the mohawk, fixing them each with a glare that made Miguel drop his eyes and the other kid swallow, but not back down. The boy’s eyes even hardened when Lawrence stood up close to him, just as Miguel had done just a minute ago.</p><p>Daniel chewed his lip worriedly, shifting his stance. He wasn’t sure whether he had to step in or wait what would happen. If Lawrence did something to that boy right in front of him…</p><p>A quick glance to the left told Daniel that Sam was now standing next to Miguel, whispering worriedly at him. She met Daniel's eyes for a second with a questioning look on her face, and he very slightly shook his head.</p><p>“Is there a problem, Hawk?” Lawrence said through clenched teeth. </p><p>“No,” Hawk replied, an almost glassy look in his eyes as if he was distancing himself from the situation. His lip twitched into something that was just short of a sneer. “Sensei,” he decided to add as nothing more than an afterthought.</p><p>Lawrence narrowed his eyes at the boy but then backed down after a few tense seconds, his mouth pressed into an unforgiving straight line. The whole room was waiting with bated breath what would happen next, Daniel not excluded. Daniel looked down at Lawrence’s undamaged hand and noticed how he clenched it so tightly into a fist that Daniel was able to see the knuckles turn an alarming white from where he was standing. Daniel tensed up, waiting for the moment Lawrence would raise his arm and he would have to jump in between– </p><p>“Class dismissed.”</p><p>Lawrence’s hand unclenched and he turned his back on Hawk and the other students, giving Miguel a long look that made the boy swallow and cast down his eyes. Lawrence then strode back towards Daniel, which was why he could not see how Hawk walked towards a female student with long hair who rolled her eyes at Lawrence’s back. Hawk smirked at her and they exchanged meaningful looks. Daniel could not see more than that as Lawrence was now near enough to block his vision. </p><p>“What’s the matter, LaRusso?” He must have seen the expression on Daniel’s face, an outward show of emotion he clearly hadn’t been able to hide in time. “It was just some stupid fight. No big deal.” </p><p>It did not escape Daniel’s notice that Lawrence crossed his arms in front of him again. He was feeling defensive. </p><p>
  <i> No big deal my ass.</i>
</p><p>Daniel chewed his lip again, thinking carefully about his next words. He did not need to pretend to be worried for his fake daughter because he actually <i>was</i> starting to grow more and more concerned with leaving Sam amongst these kids. It wasn’t just Hawk who’d had a scary look in his eyes during the stand-off. Daniel did not yet know what to make of it or what to do about it. </p><p>And even though he wanted to protect Samantha, he had to remind himself that Sam was a grown woman, young as she may still be. </p><p>“Are there often… <i>tensions</i> in this group?”</p><p>Lawrence snorted, although there was still a restless look in his eyes. “Of course not. These kids, they sometimes butt heads. Some of them have become true alphas and when you put people like that together they clash. Nothing you can do about it. I already keep those two apart as much as I can, but sometimes these things just happen. No big deal,” Lawrence said again.</p><p>“So boys will just be boys, huh?” said Daniel in a tone that definitely did not convey the sentiment of what he was saying. His blood was boiling, and he wasn’t entirely sure what had got him so worked up in the first place. His skin on his face felt tight, and he could not stop the words spilling out of his mouth. “Is that the kind of things you teach these kids? I’m thinking you’re creating bullies out of the bullied. What’s good about that, huh?”</p><p>The last of the students were trickling out of the dojo, some of them throwing interested looks over their shoulders at them. Sam stayed behind at the door, hovering near the place they had left their shoes and listening to every word they said. The sight of her calmed Daniel’s heartbeat somewhat and he reminded himself where and why he was standing here in the first place.</p><p>He had somehow lost his composure in just a few seconds for the first time in years.</p><p>Lawrence stared at him in such an intense way that Daniel was 97 percent sure he was about to receive a fist in his face. Instead, a slow, feral grin appeared on the man’s face which did nothing to ease the tension from Daniel’s body. </p><p>“Fight me.”</p><p>Daniel blinked, hard. “Excuse me?”</p><p>Lawrence stepped backwards until he was standing just behind the centre of the room, where he planted his feet firmly onto the mat in a fighting stand. </p><p>Daniel merely stared at him, his lips suddenly dry. </p><p>Shit. <i>Shit.</i></p><p>Daniel’s eyes darted across the room, landing on the infamous Cobra Kai mantra painted onto the wall of the dojo.</p><p>
  <i>Strike first. Strike hard.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>No mercy.</i>
</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Daniel could hear Lawrence gnashing his teeth together even before he saw him do it. “Give me one reason why not. Didn’t you just claim in there to be some hotshot who did not need to learn the bare basics anymore?”</p><p>Daniel looked at him, swallowing once. He had not claimed such a thing at all. Had he? </p><p>“Because I cannot think of a situation in which I can win from you. You’ll first have to teach me how to beat you before I can even think about actually doing it. And you know it.”</p><p>Lawrence eyes widened in surprise, then clouded over in a puzzled frown.</p><p>“At least you’re honest,” he finally with a sneer and with something like disgust in his eyes before he turned around on his heel and strode away into his office, slamming the door behind him.</p><p>Maybe Daniel could have managed himself for a while during a sparring session with Lawrence. He liked to think he was skilled enough to at least try. What had made him decide not to, though, was the fact that just before Lawrence challenged him, not only Lawrence’s left hand had clenched tightly into a fist but the bandaged hand as well.</p><p>Daniel hadn’t liked that one bit.</p><p> </p><p>------------------------------</p><p> </p><p>Sam sat back in her car seat with a shocked look on her face. “Oh my <i>God</i>, Daniel. What was that all about?”</p><p>“That,” Daniel said, turning his keys and starting his car with a roar that was louder than he intended, his hands shaking a little, “was a prime example of a man with some very big issues. He’s a piece of work alright.”</p><p>Sam shook her hand and threw her hands up in exasperation as they sped away from the shopping mall. </p><p>“For what it’s worth, I’m really glad you didn’t take the bait and fought that guy. I’m not sure you would’ve walked away from that. I mean- His <i>eyes</i>…”</p><p>“I know.” Daniel licked his dry lips, hiding his own eyes between his sunglasses which he put on with his right hand as his left hand stayed on the wheel. “I know what I’m doing, Sam. You don’t have to worry about that. Lawrence has a temper, but I know how to handle guys like that. God knows I’ve come across enough of them over the years.”</p><p>Sam nodded, brushing her hair out of her eyes and taking a deep breath. </p><p>“Okay. Okay… Well, at least <i>something</i> was gained from all this, at least. I managed to get a teenager to give me his number while making him believe it was his own idea in the first place, so there’s that. Now I feel gross.”</p><p>Daniel shot her a look and smiled absentmindedly. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to date him or anything like that. You’re talking about Miguel, right? Judging what Lawrence said about these kids he has to be used to being put into the friendzone.”</p><p>“Wow, Daniel. That’s just mean.” Still, a slight smile appeared on her face. “He was actually quite nice. I actually already spoke with him a few times at school. I think we really could become good friends. Well, I mean, I think he could be someone with information. He appeared to have some sort of special relationship with Lawrence.” </p><p>Sam bit her fingernail, looking out of the passenger window at the buildings flashing by. “I always used to think I was good at reading people. But this Miguel? I cannot see him beating another kid within an inch of his life, despite what just happened with Hawk. Sure, he is really committed to karate and seems to be Sensei Lawrence’s pet student, but still.” She shook her head. “I’m not even sure what instigated that fight with Hawk. There’s something going on between those two that goes a long time back, I’m sure of it.”</p><p>Daniel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking. “Remember, we don’t know for certain yet that there are actually minors involved. Technically, we don’t even have hard proof the fighting ring exists at all.”</p><p>Sam nodded. </p><p>“Still…” Daniel turned left on the road and pressed the gas pedal down a little harder than was necessary. “Keep an eye out. I think the mohawk kid might be our key into all of this, but Miguel might be hiding more than we suspect right now.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.” Sam frowned at him. “Shouldn’t you slow down a little? You’re over the speed limit.”</p><p>Daniel squinted at her. “Did Amanda put you up to that?”</p><p>Sam looked at him confusedly. “Put me up to what?”</p><p>“Never mind.” Daniel shook his head with a grimace, but he did release the pressure on the gas pedal a little. “Hey, tell me what you saw in Lawrence’s office. I took a quick look myself, but I’m sure you noticed things I didn’t. Try to shake the tensions off of you and just focus on the facts. That always helps me clear my own mind.”</p><p>Sam nodded and closed her eyes as if she was trying to conjure up the images she saw in her mind. Then, she opened her mouth and told Daniel about the photos on the wall that showed Lawrence together with the man they knew to be John Kreese, Lawrence’s Sensei and founder of Cobra Kai. She had also seen a photo of a young Kreese in military gear. There were no picture frames on the desk of Robby or any other personal photographs of either man. Also, she had spotted a big poster above a small fridge that she suspected might hide a safe. It was just a hunch, she said, but she was confident that the placement of the poster was odd at best. </p><p>They discussed taking another look at the blueprints of Cobra Kai they had obtained and observed for the past few months. Now they had had a look inside the place themselves they might spot a discrepancy between the blueprints and the actual room they been in. </p><p>Daniel parked the car at Amanda’s place, and they went inside to fill her in on what they had seen and done at the dojo.</p><p>While Sam was describing the office of the dojo to Amanda the same way she had done to him, Daniel went inside the kitchen to get some coffee for them all. As he waited for the machine to pour the hot drink into the cups, he heard Sam hesitatingly explain what had happened with Hawk and the subsequent situation between himself and Lawrence.</p><p>Daniel leaned against the counter and thought again about Hawk and that girl exchanging meaningful looks. As he had warned Sam, it was too early to draw any conclusions on who may or may not be involved in the illegal fighting ring. A tunnel vision could cloud your mind and prevent you from noticing what was actually going on until it was too late.</p><p>Still, there was this thing called instinct. Something he had relied on for decades and had not let him astray yet.</p><p>There was something going on at Cobra Kai and Lawrence was hiding something. Who knew what the appearance of John Kreese next week would bring to the table. And didn’t Lawrence mention something about a tournament? </p><p>Daniel blinked out of his thoughts at the beep of the coffee machine and took the steaming mugs to the living room. He met Amanda’s sharp gaze without fear and prepared himself for a long discussion about what he should’ve done or said in that situation.</p><p>One thing he knew for certain: he could handle Johnny Lawrence just fine, no matter what Amanda and even Sam might think. </p><p>All those assholes were the same, after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Be honest, who else squaled when they saw the teaser for season 3 yesterday? </p><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you think! I don't have a beta so any mistakes are on me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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